world's end

hello, goodbye.

[eatingdemons-blog]

DEVOTED:

@eatingdemons

     Solomon had been out all damn day, and he was real sick and tired of looking for a goddamn decent kazoo. But he’d finally found one, and he was so proud of himself that he just had to show Rune immediately.

     However, when he got back to his lair, the fallen angel was… asleep.

     Solomon crossed the room to stand beneath the chandelier. God damn, he thought to himself, why do you have to sleep in such hard to reach places?

     He figured that maybe, if he played the kazoo he’d found loudly and obnoxiously enough, Rune would wake up. So, he blew into it as hard as he could, over and over, in the most annoying key possible, and although it was driving him insane… it had to be done.

     Rune was tired of rummaging through Solomon’s things. They were all interesting, but without him here to explain them, they were nothing more than mysteries to Rune. Yawning, the fallen angel fiddled with the kazoo around their neck. Sleeping was something they had never needed to do before, but now it seemed like a great idea, especially with the highest perch in Solomon’s lair unoccupied, the chandelier.

     If they weren’t so tired, they would have thought it weird they were tired at all.

     After hopping up onto the chandelier and folding their wings around them to block out the light, Rune fell asleep, but not for long. Before they knew it Solomon was back and screeching something unintelligible. They cracked their eyes open and then peeked out of the space between their wings, looking down at Solomon. Their expression instantly brightened when they realized it wasn’t him who was screeching, but rather the kazoo in his hands.

     “Is that for me?” Rune fluttered down from the chandelier, their eyes wide, their face pressed close to the kazoo. “Oh, it’s so pretty! Where did you find it? I thought you were out hunting, not-- you must’ve gotten very lucky, to find such a beautiful thing...”

     Rune smooshed their face against Solomon’s cheek. “Thank you!”

[eatingdemons-blog]

DEVOTED:

      It took everything that Solomon had not to laugh. Kindness was not his forte; not anymore. And the fact that Rune thought he was kind was laughable. But they were so serious, so sure, and he couldn’t take that away from them.

     They’d learn how he really was soon enough, wouldn’t they?

     He tried not to think about it. 

     The demon’s feet brushed the ground, and he leaned back onto his heels. “That won’t be necessary, doll,” Solomon said, watching the fallen angel touch down before him. “I have no plans to send you back anywhere near that shitty place.”

     Solomon watched Rune intently, keeping his eyes glued to them. They touched the demon mark he’d left on them, and his gaze followed as they knelt before him.

     He stared, disbelief widening his eyes, before he smiled.

     Slowly, Solomon sunk to Rune’s level, his hands sliding beneath Rune’s chin, before lifting it gently to force them to meet his gaze. “You…”

     His features became soft, to the point where you could tell that there was something there, some feeling stronger than anything he’d ever shown before that he could not name. But Rune could’ve only seen that for an instant, before the demon leaned in and kissed them.

     Solomon stayed for only a moment, but as he pulled back, he rested his forehead against theirs.

     “You’re mine.” He sighed, his guard dropping for once in his god-forsaken life. “You’re mine, Rune, and I’m yours.”

     He leaned down, and kissed the mark on Rune’s shoulder.

     “Always. And I’ll never let anyone take that from me.”

[eatingdemons-blog]

DEVOTED:

     Solomon blanched at Rune’s statement, confused. “My face reminds you of a kazoo? That’s a strange thing to compare someone’s face to.” But he laughed, because he wasn’t insulted, and he thought it was funny, in its own way.

     "I guess you’re welcome.“ Solomon stared for a moment longer. "You’re funny, you know?”

     But he didn’t get a response to that, because, well, he was falling through the air after that.

     Solomon screamed, although he was strangely calm in the face of his potential death. But he didn’t get to contemplate that for very long. He jolted as Rune caught him, getting the wind knocked out of him by their arms.

     "Owww…“ Solomon whined, before looking down at Rune, with their face buried in his chest.

     "Woah, hey,” the demon began, after catching his breath. “I’m not mad. It was my fault, anyway, I let go by accident.” Concern laced his eyebrows together, which was a strange look for him, and he set a hand atop Rune’s head.

     "Oi, you didn’t do anything wrong, Rune. I’m fine, see?“ He sighed, holding Rune in mid-air. "I’m not sending you anywhere, promise. I’m not like those shitty angels. Purgatory seems like a really shitty place and I—” He swallowed his pride before continuing, “I care about you too much to ship ya off to some place like that.

     "I promise.”

     Purgatory was something the angels spoke of only in hushed whispers. It was a bad place, so the higher-ups never enjoyed bringing it up, especially since it was connected to Heaven. There was only one entrance: one level beneath the court, a door jutted out of the far wall. Black and dripping slime, it was the ugliest thing in all of Heaven.

     Rune had been forced to walk through that door and into the darkness that laid beyond it after they had been caught fraternizing with a demon, with Solomon. Strangely enough the angels didn’t believe in second chances.

     And so Rune had been thrown into that damp place, starved, and strained to the point of breaking and yet they still held on somehow, because they knew that if they really had broken, they wouldn’t be the only one who suffered.

     Pressing even closer to Solomon, Rune realized they had become everything Heaven hated. Instead of conforming to the mold they had set in place and being just another chess piece, Rune had grown a brain, and now they had a will to challenge even that which they previously held most right.

     “You’re too kind, Solomon.” Although they were unable to stop their shaking, it was obvious Rune felt much more at ease. “I don’t understand it,” they whispered. “But I appreciate it, and I appreciate you, for being this way with me. It’s softer than anything I have ever experienced.”

     After setting Solomon back on the ground, Rune touched down and took a deep breath. “I would endure Purgatory a thousand times if it was for your sake,” they said with conviction. “I know this to be true. Of course, going back would not be ideal, but... you make me strong. I could survive another sentence because I have you to hold me up.”

     Stepping back from the demon, Rune rubbed their palms against their eyes. Then, after wiping the wetness off on their skirt, they touched the mark on their shoulder, the one Solomon had left all those months ago. Kneeling before him in an act that would have caused all of Heaven to gasp in dismay, Rune cast their gaze down, like a knight would in the face of their king.

     “I am proudly yours.”

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     “When you’re used to being tall, it’s normal,” Solomon retorted, looking up at the tiny angel on his shoulders. And, when his hand was requested, he gave it up willingly, letting Rune lift him from the roof.

     He was surprised by how strong they were, and how easy it was for them to carry him. He watched the ground as it retreated for only a moment, before the demon’s gaze lifted, and he was watching Rune.

     It occurred to Solomon that, not only was Rune cute, adorable even, they were also beautiful.

     But would he say that? Nope. No way in Hell. Or Heaven, for that matter.

     When Rune looked at him, Solomon looked away, staring down at the slowly-receding Earth. “It’s great,” he said, somewhat embarrassed (embarrassed? What the fuck?!) at being caught staring.

     Turns out, he was so embarrassed that he forgot that he was supposed to be hanging on to Rune’s hands, and…

     “Shit!” the demon shouted as he lost his grip on Rune. Spewing a string of expletives, the demon began hurtling toward Earth.

     Would Rune save our not-so-hero, or would they let him die? Find out next time on, Solomon’s A Complete Dumbass!

     The frazzled look on Solomon’s face caused Rune to do a double-take. “What’s the meaning of this?” they asked, pressing their face closer to the demon’s. “I’ve never seen you look so... hmm...” Frowning, Rune backed away, staring instead at the dimming horizon. A few moments passed in silence while they thought. 

     “Your face reminds me of a kazoo,” they said at last. Their gaze had shifted back down now, offering Solomon a warm look. “Is that weird? I’m not sure. Maybe it is. Oh, who cares?” Rolling their shoulders, Rune beat their wings down hard, rising even higher into the sky. The stalled heart they kept nestled in their chest seemed to lift along with them for the first time.

     “Thank you for showing me that face. It was quite enjoyable.”

     Suddenly, Solomon’s grip was loosening, and then he was falling down toward the earth, and Rune was left hovering in the air alone, staring down at the rapidly shrinking demon while he plummeted toward the ground.

     “Solomon?!”

     Rune brought their wings in, shooting after their flightless companion like a torpedo. They narrowed their eyes against the tearing wind and then outstretched their hands before finally catching Solomon with them once they had swooped low enough. Their arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Their face buried in his shirt.

     “I’m sorry, I-- I should’ve been paying more attention... ah, no, are you well? You’re not injured, are you? I’m sorry, Solomon, I let you down again, oh, I didn’t mean it, please forgive me, Solomon, I don’t want to go back to Purgatory, I’m sorry, that’s selfish of me, I know, but-- I’m scared-- don’t send me back there, please, I’ll do better next time, I’ll follow the rules, I’ll--”

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon snickered at Rune’s excitement. He didn’t even flinch as they stood on their tippy-toes, shoving their face into what was intended to be his face but was actually his neck area. “I mean, sure. I dunno if I’ll even see one, ‘cause it’s not like these things are just laying all over the streets all the damn time, but, y’know…” He paused, his eyes glassy for a split second before going back to their normal highlighter yellow. “If I see one, I’ll definitely snag it for you.” Then, he smiled, a dazzling smile, covering for his slight pause.

     The demon allowed Rune to drag him outside, worrying only momentarily for his pile of junk which the fallen angel had pushed aside.

     “Oh, you don’t have to—” But Rune interrupted, telling their tale of the goings-on in Heaven, which was much more interesting to Solomon. His gaze was drawn to the angel’s black wings, which were rustling softly in the wind. He was tempted for a moment to reach out and touch them, but didn’t, unsure if that would offend them.

     For once, he actually cared about not offending someone.

     The demon smiled at Rune’s mischievous smirk, amused that they’d picked up his own mannerisms. 

     “That’s a little reckless, don’tcha think?” He looked around, at the tops of the skyscrapers surrounding them, and then back at the door from which they had come out. “Might hit an antenna or somethin’.” But he was only kidding, because, when you’re dead, who gives a fuck about being reckless?

     “Go for it.”

     Rune stuck their tongue out at Solomon. “What do you care about being reckless?” they asked with a snort. “You’ve never given a second-thought to anything in your life!” Rune tried to look miffed, but they couldn’t hold back the giggles bubbling in their chest. “Please don’t worry. I’m not a pigeon; I won’t fly into any antennae.”

     Curling their fingers closer around Solomon’s hand, Rune took a deep breath. “Okay,” they said. “Don’t squirm too much. I don’t want to drop you.” Rune’s wings stretched to their full length. Then, the little angel flipped themselves up and over Solomon’s head so they could stand on his shoulders.

     “Isn’t it strange being so tall?” they commented. Peering across the field, Rune licked their thumb and then held it up to the wind. “Hmm... there’s a bit of a tailwind today.” After tapping the top of Solomon’s head, they said, “Give me your other hand, Solomon. Thank you.”

     And then the two of them were in the air. Rune carried Solomon with no trouble at all, their coal black wings beating the air with ease. The ground grew smaller, the clouds larger, while Rune’s eyes gathered more and more stars.

     “Oh, goodness,” they breathed, “this is something else. Yes-- something else entirely!” Their hair whipped behind them, the breeze tangling the strands after it whizzed across their face. The Earth had a peculiar smell, Rune realized. If they had to describe it, to put a word to the damp soil and blossoming flowers floating on the wind, they would have to call it alive.

     Rune looked down at Solomon, their face split into a quiet smile. “Do you like it, Solomon?” Their wing tips brushed the demon’s cheeks on each down stroke. “Are you having a good time?”

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon looked at Rune curiously, surprised that they found the stupid human contraption so amazing. The fallen angel blew into the kazoo, and Solomon cringed at the sound, but made no move to stop Rune.

     “I just found it lying around in the street,” Solomon said, shaking his head. “They’re really nothing special, I think they’re mostly for kids.” He eyed Rune as they asked him to take them to a “kazoo palace”, and then he laughed.

     “I’m pretty sure those things aren’t any big deal. And I know for a fact they’re not used in worship. Kazoo palaces definitely aren’t a thing, but…”

     The demon thought for a moment.

     “Next time I see one, I might pick it up for you, if you want.”

     Rune clapped their hands in excitement. “Oh, Solomon, that would be wonderful!” Sparkles filled their eyes, adding to their starstruck look. “You’re not joking, are you? You’d really do that for me?” Stretching onto their toes, Rune poked their face into Solomon’s, although they were so short, they could really only reach his chin. “Thank you!”

     After beating their wings a few times, Rune grabbed Solomon’s hand and led him toward the door. (Not the door to the bathroom, but The door, the one leading outside.) It was almost fully buried beneath piles of junk, but Rune wasn’t bothered by it; they simply shoved it aside.

     “Allow me to repay you,” Rune said, still focused on reaching the handle. “I have something in mind, something I’ve wanted to try for awhile. I think you’ll like it.” After turning the handle, they ran outside, their fingers still clasped with Solomon’s.

     “While I was in Heaven,” they continued, “I always had to apply for a sky permit-- the High Angel Court didn’t want anyone in His sky without them knowing. It was a long, tedious thing, so I didn’t bother with it very often.” Rune’s pitch-black wings shuddered, the early morning breeze ghosting along their feathers. “But... none of that matters anymore. So...”

     Suddenly, Rune’s smile turned mischievous. It was a strange look for them, definitely, but it wouldn’t look unfamiliar to Solomon-- after all, they had learned the face from him.

     “Let’s fly!”

[delta-hexagon]

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon was busy sitting around with his nose in a book. Secretly, he was looking for something to tell him more about what Rune was now, but he wasn’t letting Rune know that. Every time they came over to see what he was reading, he’d teleport a different book into his hand so that they wouldn’t see.

     Maybe he just didn’t want them to know that he cared so much.

     When he heard his name, Solomon set his book down, walking to stand beside Rune in front of the cabinet.

     “It’s some weird human thing,” Solomon began, opening the glass case to take the kazoo out. “I think I heard someone call it a kazoo. It’s an instrument.” He lifted it to his lips and blew into it, emitting a really stupid kazoo noise.

     “Probably don’t eat it, but feel free to touch it.” He held the plastic thing out to Rune. “It’s probably pretty hard to break, so fuck with it all you want.”

     Rune’s eyes lit up when Solomon blew into the instrument. They pushed themselves up onto their toes so they could get a closer look at it, but Solomon was already handing it over. “A kazoo?” Rune peered at this ‘kazoo,’ the gaudy black and pink design catching their eye, as well as the little holes in its face.

     Without bothering to wipe Solomon’s black demon-spit off the lip of the kazoo, Rune blew into it. The sound it made was bad, of course, and it sounded a little fuzzy too, due to the low quality of the instrument itself. But the face Rune made made it clear they thought it was the best thing in the whole world.

     “Where’d you find this?” they asked in breathless wonder. “Do humans use these kazoos in worship? Oh, He must love it!” Rune’s wings unfurled, spreading out to touch the walls. “Will you take me to a kazoo palace, Solomon? Please?”

[eatingdemons-blog]

@voltsing ::

     Solomon’s lair had become increasingly more stuffy lately. It was only natural, then, for a certain fallen angel to seek entertainment.

     Rune made a face while they stared at one of the demon’s many cabinets. Their face reflected in the glass, but they ignored it, focusing instead on a toy on the third shelf.

     “It’s beautiful,” Rune whispered. “Solomon, what is this? I’ve never seen anything like it!” Their breath clouded the glass, obscuring their view, but Rune quickly rubbed it off with their sleeve. The kazoo which stared back at them seemed to sparkle in spite of the fact it was made of plastic.

     “Can I touch it? Can I eat it?”

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     The silence that filled the room after Rune spoke was unbearable. He stared at their finger, pointed in his face, stunned.

     Were they kidding?

     Rune then proceeded to laugh, and he breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping their tension so that he could smile again.

     He still wondered if Rune would realize one day that what they had said was all too accurate.

     They didn’t know anything about him, truly, he realized. But he pushed that thought to the side, not wanting to ruin Rune’s happiness.

     So, he did what he always did: he drowned his feelings in touch.

     “You’ll follow me, huh?” Solomon asked, his voice laced with laughter, as he pressed his lips against Rune’s skin more and more, his arms holding tight around their waist. “Dunno if that’s the best idea, love, but I appreciate it.”

     Rune was bouncing with excitement, and Solomon smiled down at them, amused at how this was affecting them.

     He wanted to see more of it.

     “This is what affection feels like,” Solomon said. “It’s good, right? Do you understand now?” The fallen angel pressed their face into Solomon’s collarbone, and the demon laughed, his head falling back to look up at the dripping, black ceiling.

     “You want me?”

     Solomon’s laugh turned dark for a moment, inexplicably, and his gaze darkened, but Rune couldn’t see it, and he was glad.

     Are you sure this is what you want, doll? Do you know what you’re getting into?

     “Well,” he said, between a laugh, “I want you, too, so I guess you’re in luck.”

     He put on a face. The demon leaned down, pulled back Rune’s sleeve, and bit their demon mark lightly.

     “But you’re mine already, anyway.”

[monobaa-deactivated20150507]

010415

[harumea-deactivated20170424]

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon couldn’t help but smile at Rune’s, albeit lame, joke. They were cute when they smiled, he noted, and it was hard not to smile when they did. “Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to tell you, I’m a big, scary dragon under all of this make-up. I’m just very adept at contouring.” Then, he laughed, a genuine laugh that only lasted a moment or two, and then was gone, as if it had never been there, replaced by blankness.

     The demon made an affirmative sound as Rune spoke, too busy staring at them to respond in words, but not too busy to miss their underlying meaning. He appreciated it, even if he did not voice it.

     “Well, I’m a lawbreaker,” Solomon said, “and Heaven’s rules don’t apply to me, anyway.” He pulled back to look at Rune’s silver-flushed skin, grinning at his handiwork.

     They were even cuter when they were flustered. He hadn’t thought that was possible.

     “It’s always been like this,” Solomon said, leaning down and hovering his lips above Rune’s neck. “I know that all those haughty assholes in Heaven don’t like feelings and shit. And this…well. It probably doesn’t fit into their agenda, so I guess it’d make sense for them to lie about it and tell you it was bad.” He pressed a kiss to the crook of their neck. “Considering that they are who they are, the lying doesn’t surprise me. The High Demon Court isn’t really much better.” 

     Trailing kisses up Rune’s neck, Solomon eventually ended up hovering above their ear, his breath ghosting across Rune’s skin.

     “What’s that?” he prompted. “You want…?” 

     He pressed a kiss to Rune’s blush-silver ear. 

     “You’re cute.”

     If Rune’s heart were still beating, it would have stopped at that moment. “You’re more than a lawbreaker,” they said, their voice slow, their tone deliberate. Until all of a sudden, they were pointing an accusatory finger in Solomon’s face. “You’re a criminal! A sin!” 

     Crickets chirped from somewhere deep within the hole in the bathroom floor. 

     “Haha, isn’t that rich!” Rune’s fake-angry demeanor melted into another smile, which then widened into a full-fledged grin. “Oh, I can’t believe this! Ahah-ha, what in the world has happened? This feeling--” With their shoulders shaking from laughter, their face split into the happiest expression they had ever worn. “This is so wonderful!”

     The glow emanating from Rune’s demon mark burned brightly. 

     Solomon kissed them again and again, and Rune squealed, because it tickled just a little bit, but it was also so, so nice. “I’m not gonna take orders from liars anymore,” Rune said around a poorly-stifled giggle. “From now on, you’re the only one I’ll follow!”

     The demon was hovering over their ear now. It was a strange sensation unlike any other they had experienced thus far. Goosebumps trailed down their arms, seeming to wait with bated breath in anticipation.

     Solomon pressed his lips against Rune’s ear.

     The demon mark showered the room in stars.

     “Wow!” Rune bounced up and down with excitement, sending water flying everywhere. “Solomon, what is this? I feel like I’m flying, but I’m still on the ground. Is this what I’ve been missing?” Throwing their arms around Solomon’s neck, they attempted to mimic his actions and kiss him back.

     That, of course, ended up exactly how one would expect: Rune squashed their whole face into Solomon’s collarbone.

     “I want you!”

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon nearly snickered at Rune’s ignorance. It was amazing to him that anyone could be so uneducated in the field of sexuality as Rune was, and it was absolutely hilarious.

     But Solomon kept his mouth shut, because Rune was so absolutely serious, and he wasn’t that much of an asshole.

     Or, well, not right now, anyway.

     His voice still had a hint of a laugh as he spoke, though. “No, no, Rune, I meant rough in a completely different way, but you don’t need to worry about that.” Then, his voice got quieter, and, sounding much more serious now, he continued, “I’m not afraid of you. I have no reason to be.”

     Though, what he truly meant was clear: I trust you.

     After Solomon had stared at Rune for long enough, he spoke once more. “What do you mean ‘you don’t get it’? It feels nice, doesn’t it?”

     The demon thought on Rune’s questions for a moment. “It’s not really a huge deal or anything. It’s called a kiss. It just feels nice, I guess, and humans tend to do it a lot, and… it’s a sign of affection.” 

     After staring at Rune for another moment, he couldn’t help himself, they were just too cute, and he pressed another kiss to the fallen angel’s lips.

     “…I mostly do it ‘cause it feels nice, though. Obviously.”

     And then he kissed them on their lips again, lingering only a little bit longer this time, before kissing their nose, and their cheek, and their forehead like a big gay idiot.

     Rune eyed Solomon suspiciously. “Why must you always speak in riddles?” they asked. Exasperation shown in their voice, but they appeared to be more amused than anything. “Honestly, are you sure you’re not a dragon? Supposedly they died out years ago, but they always spoke in puzzles, and you bear a striking resemblance to them.”

     The black goop covering the floor seemed to jiggle. Rune had obviously meant that as a joke, even if it had come out clunky and awkward, as was typical for them when they tried new things. Regardless of how funny it actually was, Rune’s budding smile returned, because being humorous felt a lot better than being rude.

     But then Solomon said that he wasn’t scared of them, not at all, and that floored the look right off their face. “I’ll be sure to never give you a reason, then,” they said. The underlying message wasn’t lost on Rune. Hopefully their silent ‘thank you’ wasn’t lost on Solomon either.

     No sound came from Rune while Solomon explained the human art of kissing. It took them a while to process it all, particularly the affection part, but once they did, even their ears turned silver.  “Sh-sharing affection is strictly forbidden,” Rune stuttered. “It’s dangerous! It’s evil! I--”

     It did feel nice.

     “O-o-oh.” Their skin shined an even brighter silver. Solomon just would not stop though, the motherfucker. “I-ich verstehe es jetzt, Solomon. But the rules, they clearly state-- it just isn’t allowed-- not in Heaven, and-- oh, we shouldn’t--”

     Burying their face in their hands, Rune tried to quell their flustered trembles.

     “W-- Why does it feel good? It just doesn’t make any sense! If it’s so bad, then why-- why would it be off-limits? Heaven... did they really lie about everything? They lied about you, they lied about me, they didn’t even know me, I didn’t even know me! But now... I want--” 

     You.

[dertoddesliebling]

「創作まとめ１６（混）」/「紅ki＠ついったー」のイラスト [pixiv]

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon was startled when Rune took hold of his wrist. He hadn’t intended to startle them; in fact, he’d wanted to do the exact opposite. He was simply wanting to calm them.

     “I guess that makes sense, but, to be honest, I don’t intend on hurting you, or anything. That doesn’t mean you have to trust me like this,” he glanced pointedly at his hand, “but I’d at least rather you know so you don’t have to grab my wrist so hard.” He paused for a moment, his usual smirk coming back for only an instant so he could remark, “Not that I mind you being rough, or anything, but I don’t think that’s what you intended.”

     Rune’s touch was now soft on Solomon’s skin, and his smirk died off, replaced by a strangely innocent and surprised look. He thought maybe he’d be blushing if his body actually did that kind of thing anymore.

     “Yeah. It’s a good time. You’ve really been missing out.”

     Then, he smiled, his features soft in a way that was in stark contrast to the way they usually were. “I don’t mind a little pain or anything like that. If you want me to wash your wings, that is.”

     But he dropped the topic, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the faucet, and Rune’s soft breathing.

     Rune spoke, and Solomon took a moment before responding.

     “But I am resting, aren’t I?” He stared at Rune for a moment, and then his hand came up slowly before lifting their chin. “I’d call this resting.” 

      Then, he leaned down, and pressed his lips to Rune’s. He only let himself stay there for a moment, and then he pulled away, but not far, just staring at Rune’s face.

     “Sorry,” he said, in regards to kissing them. “Couldn’t help it.”

     Rune felt ashamed for being so afraid, but it wasn’t as if they could help it; after all, the angels were still looking for them, and they needed to be alert so they could do their job properly. After heaving a sigh, Rune said, “If you were gonna hurt me, you would’ve done it by now.”

     Solomon’s immature comment flew right over Rune’s head. “Rough?” they repeated. Their brows stitched together in confusion. “That kind of behavior is only appropriate on the battlefield. I don’t want to fight you anymore. I haven’t for a while.”

     Suddenly, Rune’s cheeks flushed silver. “Why’d I say that?” They looked positively embarrassed, their hands fiddling this way and that. “I mean, it was obvious, wasn’t it? I’m only wasting breath.” 

     It occurred to Rune that maybe it wasn’t obvious. After all, Solomon had been their sworn enemy until only a few months ago. “Ah, I’m a fool!” they moaned. “Solomon, I don’t-- I live to protect you. The last thing I’m trying to do is be rough...” The sincerity in Rune’s voice was positively stifling.

     “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

     Everything seemed to grow quiet when Solomon lifted their chin. He had done this once before, and Rune wasn’t confused, but rather, relieved, because if he was still willing to touch them then he obviously wasn’t terrified by their very existence. 

     The mark on Rune’s shoulder glowed dimly under the water.

     “I still don’t know why you like that so much,” Rune muttered. They ran their spiked tongue across their lips. “Does it mean something? I wasn’t allowed to research humans or anything like that while I served Heaven. So... is it some kind of human ritual?”

     Rune looked at Solomon with untethered curiosity. They did not back away.

[eatingdemons-blog]

SOLOMON:

     Solomon snickered at Rune’s amazement, still getting situated in the rising water. “I literally just told you, it’s the bath. It’s not that big of a deal, just some warm water and whatever.” 

     The demon sighed as Rune craned their neck to look at him, and he put his arms loosely around the fallen angel. “Nah, I’m fine. Just tired is all.” But Rune wasn’t having it, and they took his hand. He held still, observing them closely as they hesitated before letting their blood drip onto his skin. 

     The sensation of his skin instantly stitching itself back together was strange, but not altogether unpleasant. He felt a little warm, but that could’ve just been the bath, and he continued to watch silently as Rune continued to patch him up.

     “Easy for you, huh?” Solomon rested his hand on the back of the fallen angel’s head, being a little gayer than he needed to be and hoping Rune wouldn’t notice. “It looks like it’s a little harder than you’re saying it is.”

     The water rose until it reached Rune’s collarbones, and then a little farther until it was nearly spilling over the edge of the tub. But, miraculously, the water just disappeared right before it could spill to the floor. 

     Solomon just left the faucet running. Wasting water, like an asshole.

     “Pitiful? Well, damn.” He sighed, and shook his head. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.” The demon hooked an arm around Rune’s waist, simply holding them a little closer, not out of necessity or out of anything aside from the fact that he wanted them there.

     “I’m tired, too. I don’t want that other face right now, if that’s okay.”

     Rune wasn’t expecting Solomon to lay his hand on their head. They flinched. Their fingers snatched his wrist, their eyes wide, so tense they were practically made of stone. 

     The dripping faucet held its breath.

     “I've never been away from the battlefield for this long before,” they said slowly, something about their voice making it clear they weren’t all there. But then, after straightening, they relaxed and looked at Solomon, although it seemed they could not meet his eyes. “I’m still not used to peacetime. But...”

     The dribbling faucet mocked them.

     “I think I understand your peculiar affinity now.” Rune’s hand-- which had not fallen from its place atop Solomon’s wrist-- suddenly moved. They brought it up to Solomon’s face, their wickedly sharp nails losing their edge beneath a soft touch. “It’s actually quite nice sometimes.”

     After ghosting their thumb across Solomon’s jaw, Rune dropped their hand. They kept their gaze trained on Solomon’s face and yet they were still unable to look him in the eye. “You offered to wash my wings.” It wasn’t a question. “But I don’t want them to hurt you. I don’t know anything about this thing I am now... it could very well be dangerous.”

     Finally Rune looked away from Solomon. They bit their lip, feeling powerless. But then Solomon brought them closer and they looked him in the eye at last while a bright pink feeling settled comfortably in their gut and they thought, in spite of all logic, that maybe they weren’t as damned as they had been made to believe.

     “If you’re tired,” they said with the smallest hint of a smile, “you should rest.”